Susan Cain (IG: @susancainauthor) is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning speaker. Her TED talk has been viewed over 40 million times. Susan helps curate the Next Big Idea Book Club which donates all their proceeds to children’s literacy programs. Today we’re discussing her new masterpiece, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. We unpack that bittersweetness is at the heart of life and how it’s linked to creativity & con­nection. In this episode, we discuss: The mystery of sad music and why it moves us The culture of positivity in America What is effortless perfection? The power of expressive writing Turning your pain into creative expression Finding your form of expression Sharing your truth How to practice Memento Mori Strategies to work through difficult emotions The idea of loving-kindness meditation The Bittersweet Quiz The strength of introverts Can trauma be passed down from generation to generation? We have the ability to heal Normalize daily joy and pain Savouring the moments How Susan personally transformed writing Bittersweet Show sponsors: BiOptimizers <== Get your free bottle of Masszymes here Oura Ring <== Buy the Oura Ring Generation 3 and get 6 free months of Oura membership Paleovalley <== 15% off all Paleovalley products by using the code ultimatehealth at checkout Related links: Susan Cain - Bittersweet (book) Susan Cain's website Follow Susan Cain on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Susan Cain - Quiet (book) Bittersweet Quiz Leonard Cohen Eminem Listen to Sharon Salzberg previously on TUHP (episode #105) ​​ Sharon Salzberg (books) Krishna Das Elaine Aron (books) Rachel Yehuda (books) Related episodes: How to Use Regret as a Pathway to Your Best Life | Daniel Pink (#459) How to Harness the Healing Power of Music | RIOPY (#454) The Power of Speaking Your Truth and How It Positively Impacts Your Health | Fearne Cotton (#418) 313: Chase Jarvis – Creativity Is A Habit (Not A Skill) Available To Everyone 243: Susan David – Emotional Agility • The Tyranny Of Positivity • Understanding Guilt & Shame How can you support our podcast? 1. Apple users, please subscribe and review our show on Apple Podcasts, we make sure to read them all. Android users, be sure to subscribe to our show on Google Podcasts. Subscribers never miss any of the action ;) 2. If you'd prefer to watch vs listen to the interviews, head over to our YouTube channel and enjoy the full video conversations. Be sure and subscribe while you're there. 3. Tell a friend about The Ultimate Health Podcast. They will surely thank you later. You can use the envelope button below to email a friend or tell them about TUHP in person. 4. Join TUHP Facebook community (FREE). This is where we all stay in touch and ask questions in between episodes. Join our community. 5. Follow our adventures on our favourite social media platform, Instagram. 6. Download The Ultimate Health Podcast app (FREE). This way you'll have our whole library of episodes right at your fingertips. Download our iOS/Apple app or our Android app. 7. Share using the buttons below. Thank you!